What Would You Do to Save the King County Budget?
After Susan Hutchison promised to cut the Executive Staff if elected this fall, the other candidates are starting to stick their necks out, getting a little more specific in their plans for saving the budget. Today saw press releases from Fred Jarrett and Dow Constantine on the subject.
Saving the environment is all well and good, but we need to get through this little fiscal disaster first.
First Jarrett released a "white paper" where he calls for things like suspending the foot ferry program until Metro is adequately funded; stopping any new county programs and making sure the ones that do exist function effectively; looking for ways to reduce overhead costs (which, if it's going to be effective, means firing people); and reining in county employee health care costs. For that last part, he'll have to renegotiate many of the contracts created under Ron Sims' tenure. The vast majority of county employees are unionized.
For his part, Constantine called for an immediate hiring freeze at the county.
Neither Jarrett nor Constantine can show that their plan will make significant progress toward solving the county's two-year, $100 million deficit. (For what it's worth Hutchison hasn't shown that cuts to the Executive staff will get us there either.)
There's no guarantee that trimming fat from county departments will make up the difference, especially after the county managed to cut $93 million last year. And Jarrett's plan for the ferries has already pissed off one West Seattle public-opinion shaper/foot-ferry-booze-service advocate.
Constantine's plan for a hiring freeze leaves exceptions for public safety and health departments. The problem is that those are the departments spending all the money in the first place.
Still, it's helpful to get these plans out there, even if only so we can rag on them. In a race with no official party designations and so many people with such similar priorities running, the specifics are where voters can distinguish them. Love the water taxi? Don't vote Jarrett. Hoping to get a job at the county this fall, Constantine probably isn't your guy. So let's get to it, Phillips and Hunter—give us something to love or hate about you.
4 comment(s)
Darkwing Duck says:
Susan Hutchison is the only candidate with real solutions to our county's escalating problems. She has announced proposals to help small business create jobs, ensure accountability in government, reduce executive staff and increase the number of sheriff's deputies on the street.
Susan has the vision and leadership that King County needs to get us out of this $50 million budget deficit and fix our government.
Posted On: Thursday, Jul. 9 2009 @ 6:12PM
RR says:
... because her extensive experience as .
Susan would likely need more, not fewer, executive staffers. Especially some with government and executive experience.
Posted On: Thursday, Jul. 9 2009 @ 6:31PM
Darkwing Duck says:
Susan Hutchison is currently the Executive Director of the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences (which is a $100 million foundation). She also brought the Seattle Symphony back from the verge of bankruptcy. Susan has far more experience as a manager and executive than any other candidate in the race.
The current crop of career politicans running for KCE have demonstrated a TOTAL inability to oversee the county budget. We need new leadership, new direction and new vision. We need Susan.
Posted On: Thursday, Jul. 9 2009 @ 9:58PM
J.R. says:
Susan's small business proposal was to change a state tax. Her proposal to fix our land use problems is to gather everyone around a table and have a talk. She's an amateur who lacks the ability, the experience, and the smarts to do the job. There are four very qualified candidates for KCE. Pick one.
Posted On: Friday, Jul. 10 2009 @ 9:08AM